Some anglers wonder where there is a need to get a rod for bottom fishing if you already have a jigging rod. Although manufacturers and most professionals recommend having a rod for every application, sometimes it feels ridiculous considering the price you will have to incur to get all these rods. Yes, you can surely use jigging rod for bottom fishing More people are turning to use jigging rods for bottom fishing as jigging rods are lighter and have enough strength to pull different species.
What is the Best Size Jigging Rod for Bottom Fishing?
Jigging rods are naturally short, falling within the length range of 5 feet to 7 feet. This length range will also work perfectly for bottom fishing, but you need to consider the bait’s size. A 6’3” paired with a 50-100 rating with 30lb braid will work perfectly with light/ chicken rigs. On the other hand shorter rods for instance 5’8″ with 80lb braid, will be perfect for heavy or big live bait setups.
Related : Dummies guide to Jigging in Fishing
What is the best Action Jigging Rod for Bottom Fishing?
Action is essential in determining the sensitivity of your rod. You need to ensure that your jigging rod will not bend too much before putting pressure on the fish. Jigging rods mainly offer fast and extra-fast action. On the other hand, the best action for bottom fishing is fast and medium action. Therefore, a fast-action jigging or medium-fast action rod will work perfectly for bottom fishing, but you need to ensure that the rods are longer.
What Power Jigging Rod is the best for Bottom fishing?
For a rod to thrive in bottom fishing, you need to ensure that it’s stiffer and feels robust. For jigging, the recommended power rod is a medium or medium-heavy power. To use these rods for bottom fishing, you need to get the stiffest rod so heavy power action will not feel the impact of rocks when bottom fishing—rods with medium power and powerless than medium power could easily snap under extreme pressure.
How to Use a Jigging Rod for Bottom Fishing?
When choosing a jigging rod for bottom fishing, there are factors you need to consider, the length, power, action, construction and weight. When bottom fishing, the rod is exposed to rocks underneath. To use the jigging rod, ensure the bend is not extreme. One way to deal with this is to ensure you have a strong rod; alternatively, you can choose not to go beyond 200 feet when bottom fishing. Also, ensure you have a stiff material to deal with the pressure associated with bottom fishing. Fibreglass material is stiff and stronger compared to the common graphite materials.
Jigging Rod vs Conventional Rod for Bottom Fishing
Although jigging rods can be used for bottom fishing, it is essential to note that the jigging rods and conventional bottom fishing rods are quite different. This is probably the reason why some anglers will not substitute one for another. Here are their differences.
Stiffness
Conventional rods for bottom fishing are stiff, and they give you better leverage when you are fishing close to the bottom. They are usually made sturdy as they encounter too much hitting by the rocks beneath. In contrast, jigging rods are more flexible since they deal with lighter lures and do not require long casts, especially when dealing with vertical jigging.
Tip
Jigging rods have a faster tip and offer fast or extra fast action, but they take longer to load. That’s why they are extremely sensitive, and they let you feel every bite. On the contrary, the tip of convectional rods offer moderate action, and they load a little faster.
Weight
Due to their increased stiffness, convectional rods are heavier and a little bulky, the fiberglass material also contributes to the bulkiness. On the other hand, jigging rods are lighter as most of them feature a graphite construction.
Final Impression
Jigging rods can be used for a series of applications. So, if you own a jigging reel and are looking to try bottom fishing, you do not have to worry if you are quite tight on the budget. Get your jigging reel and go try out bottom fishing. A warning, though, you need to ensure you are fast on the draw. On the bright side, you will be enjoying fishing with a lighter rod so that you can get rid of exhaustion brought about by the typical bottom fishing rods.
Related Resources :
- What do I need for bottom fishing?
- Can you use Spinning Reel for Bottom Fishing
